Tensions between the US and Ukraine have been high ever since their leaders engaged in a shouting match last month. However, senior officials from both sides met in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to continue dialogue.

The two countries released a joint statement saying the US will resume military aid and intelligence sharing. The Ukrainian side says it is willing to enact an immediate 30-day ceasefire if the proposal is accepted by Russia.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: "Now, hopefully, we'll take this offer now to the Russians. And we hope that they'll say yes -- that they'll say yes to peace. The ball is now in their court."

The statement said the two countries agreed to reach a deal "as soon as possible" that would open up access to Ukraine's natural resources. US President Donald Trump had been pushing for the agreement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the US in a social media post. He wrote that the American side "understands" his arguments and "accepts" his proposals. He also expressed gratitude to Trump for "the constructive nature of the dialogue."

Zelenskyy described the ceasefire proposal as a "positive" development. He urged the US to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin to accept it.

Trump spoke to reporters on Tuesday. He said: "Now we have to go to Russia and hope President Putin will hopefully agree to that also. And we can get this show on the road."

Trump added that US and Russian negotiators may meet Tuesday or Wednesday, and he "thinks" he will talk to Putin this week. He said that he also has plans to invite Zelenskyy back to the White House.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has acknowledged progress toward security guarantees he has been seeking over a minerals deal with the US.

Media reports say the two countries reached a broad agreement on the joint development of Ukraine's mineral resources.

The final draft for the deal includes the sentence, "The Government of the United States of America supports Ukraine's efforts to obtain security guarantees needed to establish lasting peace."

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Zelenskyy indicated he welcomed the final version. Ukraine has been pressing for US security guarantees to prevent future attacks by Russia.

He also said it is important for his country not to be in debt. Media reports had said the US demanded rights to some of the huge revenues to be gained from Ukraine's mineral resources. Zelenskyy said the draft does not mention such a claim.

Zelenskyy referred to US President Donald Trump's comment that the Ukrainian president will visit the US on Friday. Zelenskyy said Trump meeting with him before sitting down with Russian President Vladimir Putin sends an important signal.

Trump said at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday that Zelenskyy will come to the US on Friday to sign a deal, calling it a "very big agreement."

US President Donald Trump says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit the United States on Friday. The two sides have reportedly agreed on a minerals deal.

Trump was asked by reporters on Tuesday whether the minerals agreement had been sorted out.

The president replied that Zelenskyy is coming to the US. He said, "I hear that he's coming on Friday, certainly it's okay with me, if he'd like to, and he would like to sign it together with me."

Trump wants to secure the rights to Ukraine's mineral resources in return for the assistance that Washington has given Kyiv.

The Financial Times and other Western media outlets say that the US and Ukraine have broadly agreed on a deal.

But they say it is unclear whether the text will include the explicit security guarantees that Ukraine has repeatedly asked for.

Trump sent Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Kyiv earlier this month to secure a deal. He expressed strong dissatisfaction when two sides failed to reach an agreement. Trump went so far as to call Zelenskyy a "dictator."

Observers are waiting to see whether Trump and Zelenskyy will sign a deal and improve their relationship. This comes as steps are being taken to start negotiations aimed at bringing about a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Sources say Japan's agriculture ministry has decided to release 210,000 tons of government reserve rice as prices of the country's staple grain remain high.

The sources say that in the initial sales, 150,000 tons will be slated for bidding and that subsequent rounds will be determined based on assessments of distribution conditions.

The bidding will primarily target rice harvested in 2024, but some rice from the 2023 harvest will also be included. In principle, the government is to buy back the same volume from the buyers within one year.

The agriculture ministry says the rice harvest in 2024 is estimated to have increased by 180,000 tons from the previous year.

But the amount of rice the Japan Agricultural Cooperatives and other wholesalers purchased from farmers last year declined by 210,000 tons from the previous year.

The government release of the rice from its stockpile looks to fill the decline.

Release of reserve rice into the market has been limited up till now to cases such as serious crop failures or disasters. The agriculture ministry is supposed to maintain one million tons of rice.

This will be the first time for the government to release the rice with the aim of ensuring smooth distribution.

Agriculture minister Eto Taku is set to officially announce the rice release plan on Friday. Attention will be on how this release impacts rice prices.

A weather expert says heavy snowfall in Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido may become more frequent if global warming progresses.

Hokkaido has been having record snowfall this season, mainly in the Tokachi region. The prefecture also had heavy snow back in the winter season from late 2021 into early 2022. At the time, Sapporo City had a record 60 centimeters of snowfall over a 24-hour period.

A team led by Kawase Hiroaki of the government-run Meteorological Research Institute analyzed the impact of global warming. It compared simulations of snowfall in a climate that has gotten warmer and not gotten warmer after the Industrial Revolution.

The team found that the frequency of a "once-in-a-decade" level snowfall was 1.4 times higher in a warmer climate.

Researchers explained that higher seawater temperatures produce more vapor, and Hokkaido will experience more snow rather than rain because of its cold winters.

Kawase says simulations show that Hokkaido could have snow dumped on it once a year, or experience uncommonly heavy snow more often as global warming progresses. He is urging residents to be prepared for sudden heavy snow.

Food and drink prices are continuing to rise in Japan with a new survey showing that hikes will affect more than 1,000 items for a second straight month in February. That is mainly due to higher import costs caused by the yen's continued weakness.

Private research firm Teikoku Databank polled nearly 200 major domestic food and beverage makers.
The results show that the prices of over 1,600 items are set to increase this month.

More than a third of them are in the processed-food category, including frozen food and chilled noodles. Condiments such as barbecue sauces account for over 21 percent.

Confectionery including cereal products and chocolate make up nearly 20 percent.

Teikoku Databank says rising personnel and logistics costs are also driving up prices.

The research firm says more than 8,800 items are already set to be more expensive in 2025. It says if price increases continue at the current pace, the cost of about 15,000 to 20,000 items will likely go up this year.

That would be far more than last year, when price hikes affected more than 12,000 items.

Teikoku Databank says sharp price increases could continue until at least the middle of 2025.

US President Donald Trump said there were no survivors of Wednesday's midair collision between a passenger jet and a military helicopter. A total of 67 people are feared dead.

Trump made the comments at a news conference in Washington on Thursday.

He said, "This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation's capital and in our nation's history, and a tragedy of terrible proportions."

Trump said the cause of the accident is not yet known but announced an investigation to "get to the bottom of it." He said he would appoint an acting commissioner of the Federal Aviation Administration with more than two decades of experience.

The collision occurred when the passenger jet was approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport. Video shows the plane and the helicopter falling into the Potomac River following the accident. The jet was carrying 64 passengers and crew, including members of a figure-skating team. The helicopter had three service members on board.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth commented that the troops were taking part in a training session. He said: "It was fairly experienced crew, and it was doing a required annual night evaluation. They did have night vision goggles."

He added that investigators will look into whether the helicopter was flying at the proper altitude.

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake occurred in Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, at 2:49 a.m. on Thursday.

Officials say there is no threat of tsunami.

An intensity of lower 5 on Japan's seismic scale of zero to 7 was observed in the prefecture's Hinoemata Village.

The Meteorological Agency estimates that the focus was at a depth of 4 kilometers.

Tokyo Electric Power Company said it has confirmed no abnormalities at the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini nuclear plants. The company also said there are no changes in figures at monitoring posts that measure radiation levels around the nuclear power plants.

Local police and the fire department said they had received no reports of damage in Hinoemata as of 3:15 a.m.

The agency updated its estimates for the quake's magnitude and focus depth from 5.0 and 10 kilometers, respectively.

The decision by US President Donald Trump to pull his country out of the World Health Organization has prompted international concern.

Trump made the move via executive order on Monday shortly after being sworn into office. It was one of more than 40 such orders he signed, some of which reversed the policies of former president Joe Biden.

The WHO said in a statement on Tuesday that it "regrets" the decision and that the WHO and the United States "have saved countless lives and protected Americans and all people from health threats." It also said it hopes the US will reconsider, adding that it looks forward "to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain their partnership."

Leaders in Europe expressed concern as well on Tuesday. European Commission Spokesperson Eva Hrncirova said, "We see with concerns the announcement to withdraw from the WHO organization by the United States, and we trust that the US administration will consider all this ahead of the formal withdrawal."

The United Nations is urging Trump not to carry through with another promise. It wants him to keep the US in a landmark climate framework known as the Paris Agreement.

Simon Stiell, the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, said, "The door remains open to the Paris Agreement, and we welcome constructive engagement from any and all countries."

A memorial event for thousands of victims of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake has started in Kobe City, western Japan, on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the natural disaster.

Over 6,400 people died in Kobe and surrounding areas when the earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 struck before dawn on January 17, 1995.

In the event that started at a park in Kobe on Thursday, lanterns were placed on the ground to form the numbers 1-17, and the Japanese word "yorisou," which symbolizes sympathy.

At around 5 p.m., participants lit the lanterns one by one, using a flame taken from a memorial gas lamp known as Light of Hope that has been kept burning at the park.

A moment of silence was offered at 5:46 p.m., which is exactly 12 hours before the earthquake struck 30 years ago.

Organizers of the event say the word "yorisou" reflects their hope that people who suffered from the disaster should not be forgotten, even as an increasing number of people in the area were born after the disaster.

They say the word also expresses their sympathy for people hit by more recent major earthquakes in eastern Japan in 2011, and on the Noto Peninsula last year.

Fujimoto Shinichi chairs the organizing committee. He expressed his hope that the event at the park will continue to serve as an occasion to keep the memories of the 1995 disaster alive, 10 or 20 years from now.

The memorial event is scheduled to continue through Friday. A moment of silence will be offered again at 5:46 a.m. which is the exact time the earthquake hit in 1995.

The number of foreign visitors to Japan hit an all-time high last year, topping the annual record set before the coronavirus pandemic. Spending by travelers also reached a record high.

The Japan National Tourism Organization estimates more than 36.8 million foreign visitors traveled to the country in 2024.

That's 15 percent higher than the 2019 record, which was set before borders were shut due to the pandemic.

The number of travelers from the US and South Korea were each about 58 percent higher than 2019. And those from Taiwan were up 23.6 percent. But visitors from China dropped by 27.2 percent.

Separate figures show that total spending by international travelers surpassed 8 trillion yen, or 52 billion dollars.

Japan's government has set targets of attracting 60 million foreign visitors and having them spend 95 billion dollars by 2030.

"The 60 million target seems quite ambitious," said Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Haraikawa Naoya. "But if we work together with the private sector, I believe we can achieve it."

But government officials say they need to take steps to prevent over-tourism. They also hope to attract visitors to destinations outside of the three largest metropolitan areas.

A magnitude 6.9 quake struck off Miyazaki Prefecture, southern Japan, on Monday evening local time. Tsunami have already reached parts of Miyazaki and Kochi prefectures.

The magnitude 6.9 quake occurred in Miyazaki Prefecture, and in the hardest-hit areas had an intensity of lower 5 on the Japanese scale of 0 to 7.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a tsunami advisory for Miyazaki and Kochi prefectures.

Tsunami have already reached the regions. In Miyazaki, 20-centimeter tsunami were seen, while Kochi reported 10-centimeter tsunami.

Officials are urging people to stay away from coastal areas.

The agency says an expert panel is investigating possible links between the strong tremor and a megaquake that is expected to strike the Nankai Trough in the seas off central through southwestern Japan.

The latest government estimate says that in the worst-case scenario, a Nankai Trough quake could claim more than 230,000 lives, and about 2 million buildings would be destroyed.

A US news site has reported that the Danish government sent private messages to US President-elect Donald Trump's team showing willingness to discuss issues related to Greenland, such as boosting security on the island.

Trump has said that the United States should claim Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, for national security purposes. He suggested that China and Russia are increasing their activities near the island.

The report made by Axios on Saturday citing sources with knowledge of the issue says that messages were sent in recent days in which the Danish government made clear that Greenland is not for sale.

The report says however the government expressed readiness to discuss any other US requests, and mentioned a possible expansion of the US military presence on the island.

Observers see the reported action by the Danish government as an effort to find out what Trump exactly wants in order to avoid a public clash with the new US administration.

The US military has a base on Greenland tasked with missile early warnings. Most of the island is in the Arctic Circle, and the existence of rare earth elements is attracting attention in recent years.

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she plans to have talks with Trump after his inauguration on January 20.

Tokyo police have arrested a female student on suspicion of attacking eight people with a hammer on a university campus.

A staff member at Hosei University's Tama Campus, which is located in the city of Machida, made an emergency call on Friday afternoon. The individual reported that a student wielding a hammer had injured some people.

The Metropolitan Police Department says eight students who were in a classroom received blows to the head or body. It added that their injuries are not life-threatening.

The 22-year-old suspect belongs to the Faculty of Social Sciences. She reportedly told the police that she became frustrated when a group of students ignored her, and that she carried out the attack with a hammer she found on campus.

A student on the campus said a friend told him that a woman had gone on a rampage. He also said it is scary that the incident happened out of the blue.

Another student said he was frightened by the thought that he could have been one of the victims, if he had been in the classroom.

Fire officials in the United States say wildfires in the Los Angeles area have left at least five people dead and burned more than 1,100 structures.

A wildfire erupted on Tuesday in Pacific Palisades and spread rapidly. It now covers an area that is about 64 square kilometers in size. It is being fanned by extreme winds.

On Wednesday, NHK crewmembers on the scene saw a coastal road covered with dense black smoke. They also saw a number of badly burned restaurants and houses.

The crewmembers noted that there were scorch marks right behind the beach. This suggests that the fire was intense as it spread from the mountain side toward the sea.

Separate fires in the northeastern part of Los Angeles have also spread into urban areas.

Police officers say that more than 100,000 residents have been given evacuation orders or warnings.

The US National Weather Service Los Angeles said that critical fire weather conditions will remain through Friday for portions of LA and neighboring areas. It added that gusty winds and very dry conditions will continue "to fuel fire starts and existing fires."

California's governor has declared a state of emergency. The state is receiving help from other states to combat the fires.

Wildfires continued to rage out of control in the Los Angeles area on Wednesday, reportedly killing two people, injuring many, and triggering evacuation orders for tens of thousands.

The first wildfire erupted Tuesday morning and has become one of the most destructive in recent memory. Several are spreading rapidly over large areas, fueled by extremely dry conditions and powerful winds.

"We have no percentage of containment. We have an estimated 1,000 structures destroyed," Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said.

People have fled their homes, and businesses and schools have shut down.

"I've never seen a firestorm like this. There's no words to even describe," said Lynne Levin-Guzman, who was in the Altadena area.

Neighboring states have been providing assistance, but local authorities say they need more water and firefighters.

Japanese weather officials are calling on people returning from their holidays in northern Japan to brace themselves for traffic disruptions. The warning comes as record amounts of snow pile up.

The Japan Meteorological Agency says a winter pressure pattern and a strong cold air mass are bringing heavy snow mainly to mountainous areas in the country's north.

As of 5 p.m. on Saturday, 406 centimeters had accumulated at an observation point in Sukayu in the Hakkoda Mountains in Aomori Prefecture.

Aomori city had 122 centimeters, which is more than triple the average year.

The city of Hirosaki, also in Aomori Prefecture, had 114 centimeters at one point, a record for January.

The weather officials are urging people to be prepared for electrical blackouts caused by downed power lines.
They expect temperatures will start to rise from Monday, increasing the risk of avalanches.

Tokyo's Shibuya Ward has decided not to hold a year-end countdown event around its major train station for the fifth straight year.

The ward held such an event around Shibuya Station until 2019, but it has since been suspended due to possible alcohol-related trouble and crowd accidents.

Even though the countdown event is cancelled, crowds are expected to gather at the scramble crossing in front of the station on New Year's Eve. So, officials plan to deploy security personnel around the area.

Also, the vicinity of the iconic Hachiko dog statue will be covered by sheets to prevent people from gathering. The measure will be enacted from 6 a.m. Tuesday to 1 a.m. Wednesday.

Shibuya Mayor Hasebe Ken has also called for public cooperation to create a safe environment around Shibuya Station.

South Korean fire authorities say 120 people have died in an airplane crash at an airport in the country's southwest. Government officials say the airplane was carrying 175 passengers and six crew members.

A South Korean low-cost carrier Jeju Air plane crashed at Muan International Airport shortly after 9 a.m. on Sunday.

The government officials say the passengers include 173 South Koreans and two Thais.

Footage aired on public broadcaster KBS shows a severely damaged aircraft bursting into flames and black smoke rising. The footage also shows firefighters trying to put out the fire and ambulances arriving at the scene.

Fire department officials earlier said they presume almost everyone aboard except two who were rescued have perished.

They also say the aircraft's landing gear didn't work properly and the pilots tried to make a belly landing. They say a bird strike could have caused the accident.

The CEO of Jeju Air has apologized for the plane crash in a news conference.

Kim E-bae said that the company extends its deepest condolences and apologies to the passengers and the victims' bereaved families.

Kim said that regardless of the cause of the accident, he feels full responsibility as the firm's CEO.

He said it is difficult to speculate on the cause of the crash at this point, and the company needs to wait for the findings from the government's investigation.

Kim said his company will make every effort to resolve the situation promptly and provide support to the families of the passengers.

He added that the airline will do its best to determine the cause of the accident in cooperation with the government.

Japan's Emperor Emeritus Akihito marked his 91st birthday on Monday with celebrations at his residence at the Akasaka Estate in central Tokyo.

He received congratulations from Imperial family members, as well as officials from the Imperial Household Agency and the Imperial Guard.

Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter Princess Aiko did not attend the celebrations because the princess is unwell.

The Imperial Household Agency says the health of the Emperor Emeritus has been relatively stable, with no major changes. He was diagnosed with heart failure in 2022.

US President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly planning to host a private dinner for Abe Akie, the widow of former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo.

The dinner is expected to take place on Sunday at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. His wife, Melania, is also expected to attend.

According to CNN, Trump and Akie have stayed in contact after her husband's assassination two years ago. The dinner was arranged at one of their conversations, and not through a diplomatic channel.

Trump and Abe Shinzo built and maintained a long and close relationship throughout the years. Shinzo was the first foreign leader Trump met after his win in 2016. Trump once called him "the greatest Prime Minister in Japanese history."

Abe Akie does not hold a government position, but she has been aiming to carry on her late husband's legacy. The dinner comes as Japan seeks to maintain close ties with the US before Trump's return to office.

Current Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru has yet to meet with the president-elect in person. The pair have only spoken on the phone.

People in Japan have chosen the Chinese character meaning "gold" or "money" as the kanji that best symbolizes this year.

An association promoting the use of kanji announced the result of its annual poll on Thursday with a calligraphy performance at Kiyomizu-dera temple in Kyoto City.

Chief priest Mori Seihan wrote the kanji "kin," which can also be read as "kane," with a brush on a large sheet of paper.

The association says the winner garnered 12,100 votes out of some 221,900 entries. This is the fifth time that this character has been selected since the poll started in 1995.

Association officials say it was chosen because of the many gold medals Japanese athletes won in the Paris Olympics and Paralympics. They also cite MLB player Ohtani Shohei winning his third MVP.

The officials note that the registration of Sado Island's gold mines as a World Heritage site was apparently on people's minds.

But they add that this year's kanji can also mean "money," symbolizing a number of problems in society.

They point to the political money scandal that has rocked Japan's ruling party, a series of robberies involving people recruited for "shady" part-time jobs, and the impact of inflation on household finances.

Atomic bomb survivors, or hibakusha, and their children on Tuesday gathered at a public viewing site in Norway's capital Oslo to watch the ceremony awarding this year's Nobel Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyo.

The group is also known as the Japan Confederation of A- and H-bomb Sufferers Organizations.

Eighty-five-year-old Morikawa Takaaki experienced the atomic bombing in Hiroshima when he was 6 years old.

He said those who died from the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have their own sad stories, but there will be no hibakusha left one day.

Morikawa pointed out that it is time to rethink the strategy to eliminate nuclear weapons.

He added at his age he feels more strongly than ever that he wants to tell stories about the bombing for as long as he lives.

Japan's Empress Masako turned 61 on Monday. She issued a statement, saying 2024 began in a deeply painful manner due to a major earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture on New Year's Day.

The Empress said she visited quake survivors in the Noto region in March and April, when the situation calmed down somewhat.

She said she is hoping from the bottom of her heart that rebuilding work would make steady progress so that the day when survivors would be able to lead a life with a sense of security would come as soon as possible.

But the Empress said it pains her heart to remember that the area suffered damage from heavy rain in late September at a time when people were working toward recovery and reconstruction from the quake.

She also mentioned many other disasters around the world that were caused by torrential rain and other natural phenomena reportedly worsened by global warming.

The Empress said she feels that a sense of urgency over climate change and other global environmental challenges has been growing year by year. She said she believes they are among the issues that people need to join hands to tackle seriously.

The Empress looked back on the historic achievements by Japanese athletes at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics as well as Japanese Major League Baseball player Ohtani Shohei.

She said seeing such young athletes in various fields pave the way for a new world through their tireless efforts must have given hope and courage to many Japanese people.

The Empress also referred to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organization of survivors of the 1945 atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It won this year's Nobel Peace Prize.

She said that, as 2025 marks 80 years since the end of World War Two, she thinks about the pain and suffering of those exposed to radiation from the atomic bombings and also about efforts that have been made by people for many years to realize the abolishment of nuclear weapons.

The Empress said she feels it is important for people across the globe to try to understand each other and work together in order to build a peaceful world.

The Empress noted that a state visit she made with the Emperor to Britain in June was memorable thanks to a heartfelt and warm welcome during the stay.

She said she was glad to feel that friendly relations between Japan and Britain had deepened through exchanges of many people and on other occasions.

She said her visit to the University of Oxford with the Emperor was also a special experience and that she was impressed. She attended the institution for two years until 1990. The Emperor also went to the university.

The Empress commented on her daughter, Princess Aiko, who graduated from Gakushuin University in Tokyo in March and started working at the Japanese Red Cross Society the following month.

The Empress said she is pleased that her daughter is feeling rewarded by her job while receiving warm instructions from colleagues.

She said she hopes her daughter will continue working to fulfill her duties as a member of the Imperial Family while taking care of her health and gaining various experiences as a member of society.

US President-elect Donald Trump has met the French and Ukrainian presidents during his first overseas trip since the November presidential election.

Trump is visiting France to attend a ceremony to mark the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral which was damaged by fire five years ago.

Ahead of the ceremony on Saturday, he met French President Emmanuel Macron at the presidential palace in Paris. Macron said that he is happy to again welcome Trump to Paris.

Trump said, "we had a lot of success, very great success working together, working on defense and it really seems that the world is going a little crazy right now and we will talk about that."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later joined the talks, the details of which remain unknown. But the three are believed to have discussed prospects for the situation in Ukraine and other issues.

They appeared before reporters after the meeting, shaking hands and talking to each other.

Zelenskyy posted a comment on social media, that said he had a "good and productive trilateral meeting."

He added, "President Trump is, as always, resolute." "We agreed to continue working together and keep in contact. Peace through strength is possible."

During the meeting, Zelenskyy is believed to have stressed the importance of a fair peace for Ukraine, reiterating the position that his country cannot accept a situation in which it will be forced to make unilateral concessions.

The focus is on what Trump had to say at the meeting ahead of his inauguration in January. The president-elect has vowed to bring about a negotiated end to the fighting in Ukraine.

Princess Aiko, the daughter of Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, turned 23 on Sunday.

The Princess graduated from Gakushuin University this spring. She has been working for the Japanese Red Cross Society. She also performs duties as a member of the Imperial family.

In February, Princess Aiko attended a luncheon for foreign dignitaries for the first time. She greeted the Kenyan president and his wife in Swahili, a language that is spoken widely in Kenya.

In April, the Princess made her first appearance at an Imperial garden party. In October, she visited Saga Prefecture. It was the first time that she carried out a solo official engagement in a regional area.

In Saga, the Princess watched events at the Japan Games sports festival. She also tried her hand at making traditional handmade Japanese paper.

Prior to that, she was scheduled to visit Ishikawa Prefecture in September to see how the region is recovering from the earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula on January 1. But she canceled the visit, as heavy rain had just hit the area.

Princess Aiko, the Emperor and the Empress are said to be deeply saddened by the series of disasters. They hope that those affected will be able to live with peace of mind as soon as possible.

On Sunday, the Princess visited Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko at their residence on the Akasaka Estate.

A birthday celebration was held at the Imperial Palace.

The Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris is finally looking pristine again five years after a devastating fire. French President Emanuel Macron has taken a look inside before the building reopens to the public.

The roof and spire sustained major damage in a massive blaze in 2019. But the arched ceiling is now looking like new. The walls and pillars are a cream color after being cleaned of soot and grime.

Workers disassembled and cleaned each of the 8,000 pipes from a giant organ. They also polished the stained-glass windows.

The restoration involved about 1,300 people. Macron said on Friday that the fire was a "national wound", and praised the workers for realizing the impossible.

An opening ceremony is planned for December 7, and the cathedral is scheduled to open to the public the next day.

An architect who took part in the restoration of the roof said Notre-Dame may look different, but she hopes people will be pleasantly surprised.

A funeral and entombment ceremony, called Renso-no-Gi, for late Princess Mikasa began at a burial ground in Tokyo on Tuesday morning.

The Princess passed away due to old age at a Tokyo hospital on November 15. She was 101 years old.

A vehicle carrying the Princess' coffin left her residence at the Akasaka Estate in central Tokyo at around 9 a.m. with her employees and servants looking on.

The procession arrived at the Toshimagaoka Cemetery in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward after passing the Imperial Palace.

The Princess' coffin was then carried by pallbearers with Imperial Family members, Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and other mourners watching.
A farewell service began shortly after 10 a.m. after the coffin was placed on a platform at the venue.

A condolence message was read out. Then delegates for the Emperor, Empress, Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita bade the late Princess a solemn farewell.

The late Princess' granddaughter, Princess Akiko, who serves as chief mourner, and other Imperial Family members, including Crown Prince and Crown Princess Akishino, also made speeches.

The Emperor and Empress, as well as the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita, were absent from the ceremony in accordance with the traditional practices of the Imperial Family.

Members of the general public will also be able to pay their respects at the site from 11:50 to 12:40 and from 13:40 to 14:40.

Japanese ruling party lawmaker Nagashima Akihisa, who is also a special advisor to Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, says he met officials close to US President-elect Donald Trump during his visit to the United States.

Nagashima, who handles national security issues, spoke to NHK at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Sunday. He returned from a five-day trip to Washington that started Wednesday.

The lawmaker of the Liberal Democratic Party said he met Senator Bill Hagerty, who served as US ambassador to Japan during the previous Trump administration, among others.

Nagashima said he asked them how the transition of government is proceeding.

He also requested the next US administration to take over the policy of deepening the bilateral alliance, as well as strengthening coordination with like-minded partners for peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region.

Nagashima said he was told that Trump and people associated with him are fully aware of the importance of such relations.

Referring to an in-person meeting between Ishiba and Trump, Nagashima said it is difficult to select the right time for Ishiba to visit the US, as a budget committee meeting will continue at the beginning of next year's ordinary Diet session.

He said it's best for the two leaders to meet at an appropriate time, when both of them are prepared.

Imperial Household Agency officials say Princess Mikasa, whose given name is Yuriko, passed away Friday morning at the age of 101. The princess was the widow of Prince Mikasa, a younger brother of the late Emperor Showa.

She was hospitalized at St Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo on March 3 after suffering a stroke and aspiration pneumonia.

She was initially treated in an ICU, but was moved to a private room about 10 days after significant recovery was seen in the movements of her right hand and leg, as well as an improvement in her pneumonia.

However, the princess was returned to the ICU for more than three weeks through early September, after showing mild pneumonia. Recently, she was recuperating in a private room.

The agency announced on Friday last week that the princess' health was in decline due to deteriorating organ functions.

She had been married to Prince Mikasa for 75 years, who died in 2016.

The princess turned 101 on June 4. She was the most advanced age for a member of the Imperial family since the Meiji era that began in the late 19th century.

A series of farewell rites and events for the late princess will be performed based on precedents for Imperial family members.

A funeral service called "Renso-no-gi" will take place at the Toshimagaoka burial ground in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward on November 26.

Okinawa Governor Tamaki Denny has expressed serious concern over the use of Osprey tilt-rotor transport aircraft following a failed takeoff in his southern Japanese prefecture. He called the incident "extremely regrettable."

An Osprey of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force suffered partial damage when it lost balance while attempting to take off from the country's westernmost island of Yonaguni on Sunday.

The aircraft was on a joint field training exercise with US forces that began on Wednesday.

Tamaki told reporters on Monday that the incident occurred even though the prefecture had asked the authorities to refrain from flying the US-made tilt-rotor aircraft.

He said he wonders what Japan's Defense Ministry thinks of using the Osprey in Okinawa despite the local opposition to the aircraft's deployment. He said he will ask for the ministry's view after the ongoing training ends.

Tamaki added that he is seriously worried that the Osprey's operations could be close to a perilous situation and they may have become an everyday event.

He also took issue with the transparency regarding the operations. He said another serious question is how the ministry is giving detailed explanations of the matter based on facts.

The governor expressed his intention to carefully monitor the Japan-US joint training, and file a request if necessary.

Japan's Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru spoke to reporters after the dissolution of the Lower House was announced. He said he would use the election as an opportunity to gain the public's confidence and promote efforts at regional revitalization.

Ishiba fielded questions about his decision to dissolve the Diet at a news conference. He said he wants to introduce policies that transform Japanese society.

Ishiba said: "I call this dissolution 'a dissolution for Japan's revitalization.' New regional revitalization is an attempt to drastically change Japanese society. The people's confidence is necessary to boldly implement this transformation. I understand that we have to fight through this election in very hard circumstances. The LDP and our junior coalition partner Komeito will strive to secure a majority.

He also explained his decision to deny endorsements for 12 members of his Liberal Democratic Party, who were involved in the recent political fundraising scandal.

Ishiba said: "Lawmakers belonging to the party should face voters with sincerity, provide a full explanation, and seek their understanding. Otherwise, we cannot gain public trust again."

He added the LDP will not allow members who failed to report political funds to file double candidacies in the single-seat constituency and the proportional representation category.

The Japan-set historical series "Shogun" has won a record number of prizes at the 76th Emmy Awards in the US, including best drama and best actor.

"Shogun" collected a total of 18 awards, the most-ever for a single season of a television series. It has already won 14 awards at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards earlier this month.

Sanada Hiroyuki won best actor for his role as Yoshii Toranaga in the drama, which was produced by the US pay TV channel, FX. Anna Sawai won for best actress, while Frederick Toye took the prize for directing a drama series.

Set during Japan's Sengoku warring states period, "Shogun" features a samurai warrior and a British navigator who became his subordinate.

Dialogue in the 10-episode drama is mostly in Japanese, which is unusual for a US production.

In his speech at the ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday, Sanada expressed his appreciation to all the people who have passed down and supported the tradition of historical dramas as well as the director and others.

He went on to say that the passion and dream he inherited has traveled beyond the ocean and national borders.